9 best Melbourne restaurant openings of 2024
In a whirlwind year of closures, Melbourne’s dining scene was also blessed with a slew of new openings. These are the best places to add to your eat list.
Food
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was a big year in Melbourne dining circles.
Many iconic restaurants closed, but we also saw a slew of new openings crop up in the city.
Here are 10 of the best to tick off your ‘to eat’ list.
Reed House, CBD
Chef Mark Hannell (St John, Ottolenghi) and life and business partner Rebecca Baker nail the “dinner at our house” brief in their first city project. They have meticulous attention to detail in all they do and charming staff you’ll want to make your besties. Plus the food isn’t stuffy, pretentious or overpriced — it may be among the best things you eat all year; especially that roast chook.
The Manse Building, 130 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Tzaki, Yarraville
This Greek tapas bar seats 15 people, has 11 menu-items and nothing costs more than $24. Chefs Alex Xinis and Shehan Setunga are dispensing authentic Athenian eats with a twist using a custom-built, wood oven as their only flame source. My picks are the flatbread plastered in taramasalata, chubby octopus and the chickpeas al la Diport.
31 Ballarat St, Yarraville
Circl Wine House, CBD
Sommelier Xavier Vigier’s new city wine palace isn’t just a haven for rare or expensive pours. Exec chef Elias Salomonsson punches above on snacks, shares and everything in between. I still swoon over the smoked eel tart, pickled mussels, beetroot and goats cheese eclair and the duck. For wine? Try top-tier champagne, Burgundies and back-vintage beauties.
22 Punch Ln, Melbourne
Bistra, Carlton
Bistra is the neighbourhood bistro Carlton never knew it needed. Owners Henry Crawford, Alexei Taheny-Macfarlane and Joseph Ho display a new level of kitchen cred and behind-the-bar know-how. Plus there’s a genuine love for cooking delicious food that’ll put large smiles on dials. Think chicken liver pate schmeared over crusty sourdough toast, potato rostis dappled in creme fraiche with trout roe, perky mussels bubbling in a parsley and Dijon spiked broth — and a glorious cheeseburger with a hulking pickle and fries. Food is by ex-Attica chef, Alex Nishizawa, drinks are by seasoned wine industry pros. You’re in good hands.
57 Elgin Street Carlton
Hopper Joint, Prahran
Entrecote power-couple Jason M. Jones and Brahman Perera’s new Sri Lankan joint is a fast-moving fever dream of colours, delicious curry smells and twinkling of schoolteacher hand bells when you require more hoppers (Sri Lankan egg pancakes). Eat as much as you can, beat the record. Drink and be merry.
157 Greville St, Prahran
Toddy Shop, Fitzroy
Chef Mischa Tropp’s tiny hole-in-the-wall is known for its seriously good southern Indian cuisine with cracking curries that rotate weekly, cold beer and clever cocktails. Squeezing in 20 punters at a time, Toddy Shop delivers everything we could ask for in a restaurant right now: affordable, rightly delicious, with cool drinks, friendly staff and seriously fun vibes.
191A Smith St, Fitzroy
Askal, CBD
The city’s Filipino food obsession is still running hot. Askal chef John Rivera injects the foreign, familiar and downright fun into his cooking. Maybe you’ll OD on ox-tail kare kare doughnuts: stress-ball squishy bao buns spewing peanut, oxtail and bagoong (fermented shrimp paste). Or fat-cut pork belly skewers sizzled over coals. Or larger hits such as the market fish or cauldron of oyster blade steak, claypot rice and bone marrow. Eat outside your comfort zone, indulge in the spoils.
167 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Lucia, South Melbourne
Lucia may be fancy with a capital ‘F’, but it still delivers where it most counts: flavour town. Owners Anthony Silvestre and Frank Ciorciari dial up posh Italian vibes as they edge their suburban restaurant empire closer to the city: marble, velvet, $1200 bottles of Dom and caviar over ice. But it never loses its sensibility (Hello, $11 Peroni Red, $9 snacks), with chef Jordan Clavaron delivering an encore-worthy Mediterranean-menu with immense skill.
11 Eastern Rd, South Melbourne
Top chefs reveal best spots for country counter meal and coldie
Make the road trip worthwhile at these star chef-endorsed regional treasures— spanning pubs, breweries and bars.
Seven sun-drenched bars to try this summer
Looking for a space to enjoy snacks drinks with friends as the weather heats up? We’ve found some of the city and region’s best new bars and restaurants to tick off your list this summer.